Formula 1: Leclerc on the podium with Hamilton fourth, behind the McLarens. More didn't seem possible
Second force, from the abyss of the fourth: the Ferrari outcome at Red Bull is surprising to say the least. The absolute competitiveness achieved by McLaren in the final year of this regulatory cycle now has an unmatched weight, so much so that the one-two of Norris and Piastri in the eleventh round of the 2025 Formula 1 world championship was never questioned in the race for even a minute.
However, for the fans of the reds, the glass is half full again. After having already triumphed on the Spielberg track in 2022 and with minimal gaps from Verstappen in 2023, the return to competitiveness in the 2025 edition of the MSC Austrian F1 Grand Prix of the darling of the Principality of Monaco has heartened many. A deserved third place, even if last night the moral heir of Jules Bianchi certainly dreamed of giving a blow to fate and the most fearsome rivals of the season. Instead, the McLarens are once again uncatchable, but at least the two Ferraris were better than both the Red Bulls and the Mercedes: a fact to be satisfied with.
On closer inspection, among other things, the day, although warm and sunny, did not start in the best way. An initial start was immediately aborted and the overall duration was shortened by one lap, with the official start delayed by over a quarter of an hour. Sainz was missing from the second grid, due to a problem with the rear brakes that caused him to catch fire: probable failure of a by-wire control.
At the actual start, Piastri immediately overtook Leclerc, who had started well but was literally 'closed' badly by his papaya opponents. Further back, even worse: Kimi, completely out of control, hit Max Verstappen full on while he was fighting with others. These are things that can happen and be tolerated in a debut year, but it is very unpleasant that a young protégé of a top team like Mercedes ended up crashing right into the reigning world champion, coming off a very mediocre qualifying Saturday. As if that were not enough, it was Red Bull's 'home race' and the crowd, mostly made up of tens of thousands of Dutch fans, was painted orange. A color that inevitably recalls the contenders for the 2025 world championship, in which the Woking duo was able to reaffirm an already too consolidated dominance both among the drivers and the teams, but still dedicated to Max.
The positive side of this episode is that it will be remembered for a long time for the softness of the reaction of the 'victim' who, usually, does not give anyone any discount when there is something to complain about: at the time of the accident, Verstappen had in fact already become very heated on the radio, criticizing and generally offending those who excluded him from a crucial test for his season. However, as soon as he learned that the person responsible for the accident was the young Antonelli, the four-time champion immediately toned down his tone, meeting him immediately afterwards, outside the cockpit, calmly, without any controversy. A mature, responsible, affectionate gesture. A rare, unprecedented event, to mark on the calendar. A human, sincere, appreciated gesture.
From there, very little. Around the twenty-fifth of the seventy shortened laps, at the end of the window for changing to the medium tyres, which everyone had used in the first stint, it was noted that Ferrari was among the last to change, with veteran Hamilton in last place among the leading teams before switching to the hard tyres. It should also be noted that Lawson and Alonso tried to extend their stint: which paid off dearly, as both ended up in the points.
In what many considered to be the second-tyre session, apart from a collision between Tsunoda and Colapinto during a clumsy inside pass, virtually nothing significant happened. Tsunoda changed the nose, while the Argentinean sadly finished at the back, casting further doubt on his performance: although Briatore has let him replace Doohan in the Alpine, he is still not achieving noteworthy results.
At half-time, if there had been no substantial change in the top five, it was surprising to see two Saubers just behind, with Bortoleto sixth and Hulkemberg eighth. Despite four retirements, the German, the driver who holds the record for the most Formula 1 Grands Prix without a podium (but winner of Le Mans with the Porsche 919 Hybrid in 2015) had qualified last: a great comeback, in short, considering the low potential of his car.
Russell, invisible for almost the entire race, however, did not fail to mark his territory in the finale, correctly finishing in the fifth place he deserved. It was all too surprising to see Lawson, who had only four points in the first races, manage to finish behind him. The first of the lapped but still in the points, seventh, was Alonso, followed as mentioned by some good Saubers and Ocon. For Bortoleto, better than Hulkemberg, it is the opportunity to break away from the absolute zero of the bottom of the standings which, halfway through the season, now only sees the twenty-two-year-old South American with Italian citizenship. Who was given the opportunity to debut in Formula 1 with only one win to his name in Formula 2 in 2024.
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